The invention relates generally to railway car hatch covers, and more particularly to a latch for a railway car hatch cover.
This invention is applicable to railway car hatch covers. On covered hopper railway cars, each car has a series of hatches on top of the car that allow the railway cars to be filled from the top with various commodities, such as plastic pellets, flour, grain food products, and the like. The hatches also allow access into the car for maintenance and an opening for venting purposes. After the railway car is loaded, a hatch cover which includes a seal assembly is secured over each hatch to prevent outside substances from contaminating the goods in the car, and also to prevent spillage and secure the goods or substance inside the car for transportation. A latch is used in each hatch cover to secure the hatch cover and seal in a closed position.
It is desirable to include a type of latch assembly that is adaptable to variations in the seal due to wear in order to maintain a secure seal of the hatch cover onto the hatch itself.
The present invention provides a railway car hatch cover latch with a self-adjusting design that can provide a secure seal.